Ai No Kotoba
by ling-chaaan
Summary: Hinata is so timid to approach Naruto, but yet she seems to be following him everywhere! What's wrong with her? Neji seems to try to pair them together, strangely enough...DAIJOUBU! And also, Shikamaru seems to find a liking for the girl from the sand...


**DISCLAIMER: Ling-chan doesn't own Naruto, and sadly…not Neji either. Oh well. All characters are claimed by none other than Masashi Kishimoto-sempai! We all do envy these creators…don't we? n **

**AH…and yes. You guys need to learn your Japanese if you don't understand these words!**

**IKUZE- "Let's go" less informal than "ikemasho" **

**DOKO(ITEKIMASU KA?)- "Where?" and "itekimasu ka?" is just like an add-on, but it sounds better that way. xD**

**DAIJOUBU-"Are you okay?" "It's alright." Yea basically it means to ask if someone is OK. **

**GOMEN NESAI MINNA(GATTA)-I didn't add the "gatta" but that makes it extremely formal. Basically this means "I'm really, really sorry."**

Yeah-I think that covers it k? Any more questions about this stuff….then just mail me or something…now let's go on reading!

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UUUUUUU

The dim light softly cast shadows of ramen cups scattered astray on the floor. A boy slept soundly on a one-man bed, the moonlight bringing out his presence. A bedside table that stood to the left was cluttered with weapons, another empty cup of ramen, and a metal head protector with a leaf engraved on it. It shone as the light reflected off the shiny material.

Naruto rolled over slowly, feet dangling off his small bed. His black sleep hat slipped off his head and dropped to the floor. On reflex, Naruto's hand shot out and grabbed the hat back up roughly. He propped it back onto his head and rolled over with an irritated grunt. The shutters filmed out the light from outside as Naruto rested from a day's work.

He had grown taller since the 'super' mission. His stocky body had slimmed out and his head was quick to answer, but wise. No longer was he poked at for being a dropout, but they treated him with the same approach as anyone else. His wish had gradually been granted as an acceptance to exist. "**Uzumaki Naruto.**"

His lazy habits never changed, but his personality-wise attitude had grown softer. Naruto's love for ramen had never grown old, as well as his determination to become a Hokage one day.

Nevertheless, he strived for the best and forced himself to the highest standards. Naruto was someone different, and one girl in particular had a generous admiration for him.

UUUUUUU

Hyuuga Hinata had grown fonder of Naruto over the time. She had watched him daily doing his training, concealed by hiding behind the dense trees in the forest. Her enormous obsession for him was bringing her to despair. Hinata was extremely shy, an awkwardly approachable girl that seemed to stay away from social events.

"Neji nii-san…would you think I'd ever lose that personality…?" she asked her mentor, who was taking a rest from training with Hiashi. Neji smiled as he took a swig of the tea that Hinata had brought out for them. Hinata stared at him with questioning eyes.

"I should think so."

"Really!"

"Yeah." Neji looked up at the sky, his eyes narrowing at the thought. He put down the cup as his Byakugan strained and he left once again to continue his training. Hinata sighed heavily as she gathered up the cups onto a black lacquer tray and carried them out of sight. She lowered her head in deep thought of Neji's bland answers to her question.

Hinata returned to the courtyard and watched Neji spar Hiashi with great effort. She grinned at his smart moves and incredible sense of strategy in hand-to-hand combat. Hiashi had parried each move with a swift thrust of his arms, but Neji always found ways to penetrate the attack.

"_I wish I could learn like you do, Neji nii-san."_ Hinata thought, resting her chin on her hands as she gazed longingly at the clouds. She watched them inch slowly north, towards the mountains-dragging a trail of soft white behind.

Her eyes slid to the right as she caught sight of a spray of crimson colored camellias blooming in the corner. The vivid shade of red had captured her eyes and formed a smile on Hinata's tired face. Her head cocked to one side as she reached over and plucked up a flower, her faint expression uttering the gentlest manner one could muster. Her fingers lightly ran down the petals with a smooth movement.

Neji watched his cousin with strange eyes as Hiashi left the courtyard, signaling the end to their training. "Hinata-sama?" Neji's voice was strong as he stood at the far end of the training grounds. Hinata seemed idle to him as she stared at a camellia resting in her hands.

Striding softly to where Hinata was sitting, Neji gazed down at his cousin with irritated eyes. "Hinata-sama…" His hand reached out and prodded her shoulder gently. Hinata snapped her eyes away from the flower and looked up at her cousin.

"N-nandesu ka?" she stammered as Neji motioned for her to come with him.

"It's nearly lunchtime. Let's go…"

"H-hai, Neji nii-san."

"Hayaku!" Neji grabbed Hinata's hand and lead her out of the Hyuuga head's house. They made their way into Konoha, where Neji pushed Hinata into the crowds.

"Neji nii-san! What are you doing?" Hinata exclaimed as Neji stood behind her with playful eyes.

"Go do something Hinata!"

"…what?"

"Let's go eat lunch!" Neji's voice was falsely exasperating as he nudged Hinata to move. Hinata followed slowly behind her cousin as they walked down the streets. _What was Neji driving for?_

"Hinata…daijoubu desu ka?" Neji asked, not turning his head back to look at her. Hinata paused, and then nodded reluctantly. They kept walking, seemingly to no where.

"_This better be good…"_ Hinata thought she hastily kept up with Neji, who seemed to be walking a bit too fast. She fell behind as Neji disappeared into another group of people.

"Neji!" Hinata called, but her voice was much too faint to get her cousin's attention. She was pushed in different ways as people passed by her, trying to get their own destinations. Hinata was desperately trying to get out of the crowds, but her body wouldn't move. She now could no longer see Neji anywhere at all. Her eyes looked everywhere, but yet no sign of her cousin was found. Where was he?

A hand touched Hinata's shoulder from behind. Hinata cringed from the startling motion and whirled around. She faced a short blonde boy who grinned with blue eyes that gleamed in the sunlight.

"Hinata!" Naruto gushed, his hand still on Hinata's shoulder. Hinata immediately flushed a dark pink as she returned the smile.

"Naruto-kun…" she said faintly, her eyes lowering. Naruto looked at her curiously.

"Daijoubu?" he asked, looking at the timid girl. Hinata quickly nodded her head. Naruto's eyes stared up into hers as he cocked his head to one side.

"Fancy meeting you here…where's Neji?" he asked. Hinata looked around and shrugged slightly.

"I don't know…I lost him halfway. We were going to lunch, but-" Hinata gazed down at the ground shyly. Naruto paused, taking a minute to think.

"You know…now that you say its lunchtime…"

"Mmm?"

"I dunno…would you…mind…?"

"H-huh?"

"I suppose…we could…uh…go…" Naruto scratched the back of his head nervously as he looked at Hinata, who apparently didn't understand what he was saying. Her lavender fringed eyes looked at him questioningly. Naruto grinned uneasily as he turned his back on Hinata.

"Never mind Hinata!" Naruto said quickly, flashing another smile at Hinata. "I'll see you around…sometime later!" He walked off in the opposite direction as Hinata timidly emerged from her confusion.

"_N-nande?" _she fiddled with fingers in deep thought. What exactly was Naruto talking about, and why was he so awkward about it? Maybe…

UUUUUUU

Neji used his Byakugan to penetrate through the midst of the crowds. He noticed that Hinata was still stuck in a cluster of people, apparently lost in thought. He raced past people and reached his cousin.

"Nandato, Hinata-sama?" Neji asked. "What is it?" Hinata was surprised to see that Neji had returned, but she was still contemplating on her conversation with Naruto.

"I-iie…Neji nii-san…" Hinata answered, not looking at her cousin. Neji immediately knew what had happened. He sighed in relief. So Naruto _had_ appeared. Even at lunchtime, Naruto would stop by the village and take a rest before going back into his training. Neji had analyzed and observed this completely by accident, but he had never known this would be a valuable piece of information to him at any time at all. Hinata stared at him strangely, sensing that something was wrong.

"N-Neji?" she asked, staring at the boy. Neji's head jerked back into Hinata's direction.

"Nande?" He inquired roughly, his tone apparently irritated.

"Never mind…" Hinata said. She didn't want to upset Neji over something that wasn't even worth talking about either way.

"Ikuze…" Neji mumbled, and he dragged Hinata to lunch.

UUUUUUU

"Chaa!" Chouji crammed three pieces of BBQ pork into his mouth as he cleaned off the grill happily along with his teammates Ino and Shikamaru. They apparently hadn't been eating, and they watched alongside with their sensei, Asuma. All three were in a state of shock as they watched Chouji tackle his food.

Ino: "…Chouji…shouldn't you slow…down?"

Chouji: "Hell no! I've got to keep eating, eating, and eating!"

Ino: "Damn…he's really into this today…"

Shikamaru: "Ne, Chouji, you do know that we're only watching you?"

Chouji: "…-food in his mouth-"

Shikamaru: "Geez…so troublesome…"

Asuma: "…"

The scent of the cooked meat always woke up Chouji's senses, and he breathed in the wonder of food, wonderful food. Being filled up was a desperate goal each day in life. Shikamaru found it interesting to watch his teammate eat his share of the BBQ every time they went out to lunch with the team. Asuma gathered Chouji and the others twice a week to take them out to dinner or lunch for some time together as a cell. Ino was always on a diet, so she never really ate anything when they went out.

Shikamaru paused. "I've got to go meet someone about now…gomen nesai minna." He stood up from his seat and shifted out of the booth. Asuma stared at him with questioning eyes and Ino raised an eyebrow. Chouji stopped his eating and stared at him.

"What for?" they all said in unison. Shikamaru scowled and made a face as he looked at them in disappointment.

"None of your business…" he muttered, turning his back on them. Ino grabbed the collar of his flack jacket.

"Oh tell us! Doko itekimasu ka ne?" she pleaded, her eyes turning into a puppy dog stare, desperately trying to get Shikamaru to say something. Shikamaru shook her off and kept walking. He was about to be late now, if they kept holding him back. Asuma pulled Ino away from Shikamaru and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't get into trouble." He mumbled into Shikamaru's ear. He was let off easy. Shikamaru took in the words, but he highly doubted that going to meet someone was anything to get in trouble for. He slid open the door and stepped outside the restaurant. Turning left, he headed straight for the enormous Konoha stadium gates. It seemed like a mile away, but he raced top speed for the entrance, leaving a build-up of dust behind him.

"_I've got to get there…in time!"_ Shikamaru said to himself as he nervously broke into a faster run. His heart pounded in his ears as he raced past shops and ongoing people passing by him along the way. The gates didn't seem any closer at all. He was dripping perspiration now, and his legs were already sore. Hanging his head low, someone pushed him back.

"You're late." The girl's voice was serious, but yet Shikamaru immediately recognized the teasing tone.

"…Gomen nesai minna…" He said, scratching the back of his head. He leaned back on a tree as he stared at the tall girl, who wielded a large fan that was strapped behind her back. Known as Sabaku no Temari, or Temari from the Sand Village, this girl was the one who saved Shikamaru from certain death and something inside made her likable to him as well. She flashed a small smile at him when he turned his head to face her.

"Heh. It's not like you to be late," Temari countered him as her hand went on her hip. Shikamaru sighed.

"Our cell went out to lunch with our sensei…" he said, giving into the excuses he made up in his head before meeting Temari. She laughed.

"Lunch eh?" she asked. Shikamaru nodded. They looked at the large gates that stood before them. They had agreed to meet here before the sand team left Konoha tomorrow, for their return back to their own village. This stadium was a remnant of both of their memories, all the way back into the main matches. Temari had faced off with Shikamaru, an incredible analyzer and strategist. He had given up on fighting her, which made her mad, but her plans were carried out all the same during that time: Destroy Konoha.

An avid fighter and a more ignorant girl she was, Temari really appealed to Shikamaru as someone he would have liked to have as a friend. During the mission to save Sasuke, she had come in to help and saved Shikamaru from an unlikely enemy. Her strength in long range attacks had defeated their opponent easily, and Shikamaru saw that she was trying to impress him with her new moves. He had something to thank her for anyways.

"Ah…these gates were the ticket to you becoming chuunin eh?" Temari asked, looking at Shikamaru's flack jacket.

Shikamaru's cheeks went pink and he nodded dully. He didn't like it too much when he was talked about for his rank in the ninja levels. Temari drew out her fan and placed it on the ground. She sat down on the other side of the tree, leaning her head against the trunk. Her eyes looked up into the sky, staring at the clouds going by.

"You do say you like watching clouds, right?" Temari asked Shikamaru, her eyes not leaving the sky. Shikamaru looked at the girl and grinned.

"Yeah. From time to time now…I guess. I'm too busy to do this kind of stuff-"he was cut off by Temari's commanding tone.

"Watch them with me….please?" she asked, breaking into a cheesy grin once again. She flushed a bit as Shikamaru sat down next to her and looked up at the sky as well. His eyes were perfect for someone who liked looking at a day pass by, their drawl and bored expression adding to the personality of Shikamaru. An unmotivated boy, she remembered.

"_He couldn't be…"_ Temari looked at his chuunin jacket and knew that this boy was without a doubt the smartest of all the genin in Konoha. As intelligent as his mind was, his looks were also idea to her eyes as well. He was thirteen, Temari was fifteen. She took her eyes off of him and looked back up at the sky. The clouds were moving ever so slowly today, and everything seemed to be going at a steady pace. A light breeze moved past them from time to time as they sat there for hours, rarely chatting to each other. They avoided the world around them and focused on the atmosphere of the clouds above.

"…Shikamaru…" Temari said faintly.

"Hmm?" Shikamaru's voice was flat.

"I don't know…I've never called you by your name before…" she answered.

"Yeah. I see that too…Temari." Shikamaru replied back, beaming gratefully inside of him for finally calling the girl by her name.

Temari froze. She gathered herself up again and pretended to ignore his comment. Within her, something also stirred happily.

"…Idiot….is that mind of yours still rotting?" she asked lightheartedly, smirking at Shikamaru. He frowned at her, but he sighed and shook his head. _No. My mind…is fine. It's just gone bad cause I looked at you too much during the mission. _

UUU

Naruto dropped onto the ground with exhaustion. Could his Rasengan really do that much damage…? His chakra was nearly out, and yet he thought that the demon fox would have replenished his amounts by now.

"Kuso…I can't move…" Naruto growled lowly. He let the kunai he was holding roll out of his hand as he closed his eyes in thought. It was nearly dark, and his limit had already told him that it was nearly impossible to get home.

"I DON'T WANNA STAY HERE!" Naruto yelled. He panted heavily, generous beads of sweat trickling down his temples. It had taken him so much strength just to yell, and now Naruto was gasping in short breaths. Who would save him? Who could…?

"Naruto-kun…" a faint voice said, walking over to the boy. Naruto's vision was blurring. Who…was that? He couldn't seem to adjust his eyes in the dim light. Someone was approaching him…approaching him... Naruto's eyes closed as he passed out. The person bent over and lifted Naruto's chin to look at his face. It was covered in dirt, and scratches made from training. His face seemed relaxed now, and the boy was only exhausted from the day's training.

Washing the boy's face, the figure made swift movements in applying medicine and whatnot as well. The skilled medic-nin made sure that Naruto was healed by tomorrow. Taken back at how fast his wounds healed, the person had no idea of what lie inside of Naruto. Each wound faded after a small applicant of the ointment used.

"Incredible…" the voice mumbled in a hoarse whisper. Their eyes stared at Naruto's face. It was completely mended of any cuts or scratches from before. Gathering up their things, the person turned on their heel and walked away without a sound.

UUU

"Hinata," A concerned voice startled the girl who had just walked in through the gate doors. "What are you doing up at this time of night?" Her father walked out from beneath the shadows. Hinata gave a little jump as Hiashi's Byakugan eyes stared down at her. Their piercing glance made the girl extremely scared.

"I-I was only…taking a walk…" she lied, hoping that it was enough to keep her father from any more questions. Hiashi remained silent. Hinata stood frozen in one spot as her father glared at her from above, inspecting anything that she might have. Maybe hiding the medicine in between the bushes before coming here had helped. Her father did not see a sign of any evidence that Hinata had gone out to aid a certain person. He did not know.

"Very well, then. Go to sleep, and do not do this again." Hiashi said, turning his back on Hinata. Hinata gave a short bow.

"H-hai…chi-chi wei." She muttered softly, as her father was swallowed again into the darkness of the hallways. Hinata forced her feet to take her back to her room. Just exactly what _was_ she doing anyways, going out at night to check on Naruto? She shook her head to get the matter out of her mind. She did not notice that Neji was also watching from behind the thin film of rice paper, his Byakugan easily piercing through the cover.

"Hinata-sama…you are…devoted, are you not?" Neji laughed quietly to himself as he rested his head again. He knew that Hinata had been out to see Naruto-kun, again. Hinata still did not notice that Neji was watching her as she passed by his room with soft pads of her feet. She clutched her hands closely to her heart as she walked through the dark hallways leading to her room.

"N-Naruto-kun…" Hinata whispered as she stared at the mirror that stood in front of her. "What…do you think of me?" She hung her head low as she saw the same, shy reflection that looked back at her. Nothing ever changed. Hinata gave a little sigh as she sat on her bed, letting the hour go by. Her eyes were filled with resolve as she pictured Naruto in her mind. He was strong, and determined. Nothing would stop him from doing something right.

"Will…you teach me…how to do it right?" Hinata asked him inside. She could see his warm smile, a relic of his personality. He'd nod his head yes, and take her step by step. Even thinking about this made Hinata flush a light red. Slipping off into a deep sleep, Hinata's mind never tore off of Naruto's face.

.end transmission.

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**SO…uh…how was it? GAY STUPID DUMB…whatever…don't forget to R&R! I enjoy reviews that help me get better, so critique is really welcome! I know if you see some stuff wrong in the end…ehhh…well I didn't really know how to end the story! it's NOT an one-shot, so expect more! I haven't updated in forever-so this is like me coming alive again! JA MATTA NE! arigato gozaimasu to you if you read the story too! xD thankyou once again! JA!**


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